Hangar 24 and San Bernardino International Airport officials have canceled the 2020 SBD AirFest, the planned merger of two air shows, after learning military demonstration teams may not be available to perform due to the continuing threat of the novel coronavirus.
Earlier this year, the brewery and airport announced the merger of the two separate air shows, the Hangar 24 AirFest at Redlands Municipal Airport and the SBD Fest at the San Bernardino airport. The brewery cited several issues with hosting its event at the Redlands airport, and said moving to SBIA would allow the popular AirFest to continue to grow. The combined event, renamed SBD AirFest, was scheduled for May 30-31, 2020, at SBIA.
In a statement released Tuesday, March 17, the brewery said it learned that the U.S. Air Force has ordered all of its demonstration teams, including the F-35 team scheduled to perform at SBD AirFest, to stand down until May 15 in response to the coronavirus, COVID-19. Due to concerns that order may be extended, Hangar 24 said, it and SBIA decided to suspend this year’s show.
“The health and well-being of our employees, partners, volunteers and community is paramount,” Ben Cook, founder and president of Hangar 24, said in the statement announcing the cancellation. In addition to questions about whether the demonstration team would be able to perform, Hangar 24 noted ongoing efforts to reduce large gatherings across the nation to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Planning for an air show in 2021 will resume when possible, organizers said.
“As excited as were for the opportunity to organize a show together in 2020, the well-being of our team and our partners is our top priority,” said Catherine “Cat” Pritchett, director of administration for the San Bernardino International Airport Authority. “When the time is right, we will get our team back to the table to plan an air show for 2021 that will be like no other.”
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